


A new friend

by Teapots_and_Teacups



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friendship, could be more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 19:04:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15125933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teapots_and_Teacups/pseuds/Teapots_and_Teacups
Summary: Kenma had little to talk about with girls. Even those that liked volleyball. The various managers at the training camp had tried to talk to him once or twice. He’d all but freeze on the spot like he’d been petrified until Kuroo came to rescue him. That was until Yachi.





	A new friend

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry, I suck at titles.
> 
> I've only written xReader until now so this was a totally new challenge for me!

When Kuroo went to the evening captains meetings, Kenma liked to sneak out the room that Nekoma inhabited. It was always too noisy, he wanted to find somewhere quiet to play his game in peace. He was prowling the halls and came across one of the communal areas. Yachi, the little manager that Hinata had been so enthusiastic about, was sitting on one of the sofas with a book open on her lap. From where he was lurking, Kenma thought it looked oversized. Tome-like, he decided. A rare flush of curiosity ran through him. He inched closer until he could make out what was on the open page. 

He almost tripped over his own feet when he realised that he recognised it. It was one of the Monster Hunter knights. More than that it was surrounded by smaller sketches. An art book. He desperately wanted to say something. To call out to Yachi. But his feet wouldn’t stop. And his voice refused to work.

\----------

He made his way to the same place the next evening, and there she was. It looked like she was a few pages further in.

It took another day to summon the courage to actually talk to her.

“Hi.” He blurted, standing behind the sofa. Unaware of how that might scare her. Yachi almost jumped out of her skin, snapping her neck around to look at him with a small shriek.

“Kenma-san!” She squeaked. Now that she knew who it was she was calming down quickly. “Go... Good evening.” She remembered the open book in her lap and started flailing. “Ah! This! It’s... It’s... It’s nothing!”She moved to close it, embarrassed to be found with such a thing.

“Actually...” He paused, his shyness welling up. “I’d... like to see it.” His face was partly obscured by his hair but Yachi could see how hard he was trying to talk to her. 

“Ah! Really?” She was flailing again. “Sorry! I didn’t think that anyone else could-! Would” She tried to change phrasing mid sentence. “-also like such a thing!” Kenma’s eyes widened, not sure if he should be amused or scared. “...Sorry.” Yachi was suddenly timid. “I’m... terrible at reading people.”

“It’s fine.” Kenma wasn’t going to admit that he always read too much into people and situations. 

“You can take a look. I don’t mind.” Yachi offered. She shuffled over, making room for him on the sofa. She also moved the book to the small coffee table that was in front of her which Kenma was grateful for. He sat down carefully, keeping a decent space between them. His world narrowed to the book and Yachi’s voice as she began to talk about the designs. He drank in everything she said, no matter how much detail she went into. She talked him through about six pages of designs before trailing off .

“Sorry... It must be boring to listen to me.” Her shyness struck a chord with Kenma. He had no one to talk games with, he’d never really thought another person would have the same problem.

“Not really. I never knew the reasons for the designs. Things like colour schemes.” He answered honestly. “It’s... interesting.”

\----------

The next evening, Kenma awkwardly sat next to Yachi again. This time she watched as he played, the book lay open on the table unused. Her comments and questions as he played were refreshing. She was actually proving useful. Her knowledge from the art book let her give insights into monster weaknesses and her questions were more about the lore of the world and creatures. Kenma found he was enjoying and relaxing in her company.

“Hitoka.” Her name fell out of his mouth naturally. 

“Eh!” His over familiarity sent her reeling internally. 

“...Are you okay?” He asked carefully. 

“Ah... yes.. I’m fine.” Yachi couldn’t explain that only the other managers called her that. 

“Your face is red.” Kenma panicked a little. 

“I... no... I’m not so familiar with Kenma-san to be called-”

“It’s fine. I don’t like such rules.”

“Eh?”

“It’s just based arbitrarily on ages.”

“I guess that’s true.” Yachi thought aloud.

“So, how did you start playing?” Kenma didn’t even realise he was making small talk.

“Someone my mother works with showed me some of the designs. It kind of got me interested.” Yachi explained. As she continued on, Kenma relaxed to the sound of her voice.

\----------

He’d felt just a small pang when Yachi left at the end of the camp. But he wasn’t too concerned. They’d exchanged emails after all.

\----------

The next time Nekoma came to Karasuno for a practice game, everyone could see how Kenma was fidgeting more than usual. Kuroo knew that meant that his friend was excited about something. But the setter had said nothing.

Kuroo watched as the tiny manager trotted over to Kenma and sighed. He debated leaving the setter to fend for himself for a split second. He couldn’t be that cruel though. He took a few steps towards the pair before stopping mid stride. Kenma had pulled out his phone and was showing her something. And she was smiling. Kuroo smiled, his childhood friend was finally growing up a little.

“It’s in Tokyo.” Kenma explained. He felt a tiny bit of pride that he could talk to her normally after the weeks of emailing. “But it’s just a small event.”

“I read about it!” Yachi smiled. “I heard there would be limited edition art postcards.”

“Each person can buy two random cards.” He read to her from the tiny screen. “So if we both go, we can get four.” He was stating the obvious but he was trying to imply they go together without actually saying it aloud.

“I’m not sure my mother would like me going to any event alone, even if it was here.”

“Not alone... with me...”

\-----------

Of the four postcards they’d managed to buy, one was a duplicate. Kenma took that one and simply handed her the one she didn’t have. It felt good to have something that Yachi also had. He also now had a photo of her. That made him feel something that he didn’t know what it was. He’d snapped it lazily in the queue. She was smiling shyly, not realising that he was taking photo. But it was important to him. Like the postcard.

\----------

They went to more and more events together, queuing up no matter the weather. Kenma would give Yachi whatever goods she wanted if he managed to get them. He had less interest in them than the actual game. They started to visit each other’s homes. Kuroo had been surprised the first time he came across the little manager in Kenma’s room. But she was only watching Kenma play, reading a guide for him. Dropping little hints. She knew enough lore to make them interesting hints. He also started to notice things about the in world designs. Enough to ask her opinion on his thoughts.

“If you could wear any of the characters outfits, which would you choose?” He asked. They were sitting on the bed, sitting closer than they had before. Her large art book open on both their laps. She flipped through the pages, clearly debating between a few designs. 

“I’m not sure. What about you?” She deflected answering for now.

“The mage-knight.” His instantaneous answer shocked her. She quickly found the page with the designs. Immediately she understood. Slimmer and of a more wiry build than the regular knights, the mage-knights had a darker palette to help them hide away at the edges of a battle. The hood that they could wear up or down would suit Kenma well. They also had a reputation for being a little less than honourable compared to the regular knights.

\-----------

Kenma learned quickly not to give Yachi an idea if he didn’t mean to go through with it. She ran with the idea of a him cosplaying as the mage-knight. She measured him up, ignoring his awkwardness as she put the tape around him. After a few minutes his patience at having to stand still for her was running thin.

“Could you hurry up?” He wined. Even he had to think of something else when she was crouched down in front of him. 

“Just a little more.”

“I thought you didn’t like sewing?” 

“It’s not so bad.” She finished up by measuring his neck. “There, done.” Kenma flopped down to the floor. “Besides, you got that look in your eyes.” Yachi could read him a lot better now. All those hours spent with him had erased a lot of her insecurities around him. Besides, she was enjoying imagining him in the finished outfit.

“You know you don’t have to do so much.” Kenma commented. He thought she’d find something on line to order in all honesty. Not straight up make it. 

“I want to.” She admitted. “I’ll make you look good, I promise.”

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“I’ll feel like an idiot if I do this alone.” His blush made her blush in return. “Don’t make me do this on my own, Hitoka.”

“But.... but... nothing would look good on me!” She was almost pleading with him not to make her pick something. “All the female characters are so... so... busty!”

“Not the hunter. She already looks like you. I mean you like her.” Kenma tried to explain. But he wouldn’t admit that he’d already imagined her wearing the hunter’s outfit.

“But...”

“Hitoka.” He sighed. Yachi visibly deflated in front of him. 

“Fine...”

\----------

He didn’t let her do it alone. For all the all nighters she pulled, Kenma video called her and would switch between gaming and talking to her all night. He looked forward to those times. 

\----------

Kenma felt like an large costumed fool. Agreeing to meet near the convention hall had seemed like a good suggestion. He would have felt like an idiot having Yachi dress him. It had been bad enough asking Kuroo to come over to help. But standing around waiting for her now was almost physically painful. At least his hood covered his face well enough. 

“Kenma!” He heard her before he saw her. A downside to the hood clearly. She’d got the outfit down to a t. Her blouse and corset were partly covered by the short cloak she wore. But it couldn’t hide the flash of thigh between her shorts and over the knee boots. The whole look was completed by a bow and quiver slung over he back. As she ran to him, her own hood fell down, revealing that she’d braided her hair away from her face. 

“Hitoka.” He greeted her with the tiniest of smiles that she knew now that was a big thing for him.  
“You look so cool!” She squeaked, forgetting that she’d seen him in it before. He was suddenly flustered by her words and attention.

“Let’s go.” He mumbled.

They walked around together, taking care to avoid the larger crowds. But that didn’t stop them from getting noticed. Kenma guessed that they got stopped at least 15 times before lunch. He was glad he could keep his hood up and pose only minimally. Yachi did have to remind him to stand up straight sometimes. 

“Let’s get some drinks.” He suggested, he could see the sweat beading on her forehead. Kenma was hot under his hood but had kept it up rather than expose himself to the hordes of people.

“Can... I wait here?” Yachi asked, flopping back against the wall. Her quiver/bag gave her a little bit of padding to lean against. 

“Sure.” He glanced around quickly to find the nearest vending machine. He wasn’t going to deal with anyone if he didn’t have to.

He could have only be gone five minutes, maybe six, and he almost walked past Yachi as he came back. She was encircled by guys. 

“Come on, don’t be shy, come with us.” One of them said cheerily.

“We just want to take some photos with you.” Another added.

“But... I.... I don’t...” Yachi stammered, pressing herself into the wall. Kenma panicked. He had no idea how he could help her.

“It’s fine, okay?” One tried, taking a step even closer. She flinched and desperately looked around.

“Kenma!” She cried out. She forced herself through a gap in the group and attached herself to his arm. He could feel her shaking despite how tightly, how desperately she was holding onto him.

“Shit, she’s with someone.” Kenma could hear the disappointment in the guys voice. “Let’s go.” She clung to him for dear life until they were out of sight and then relaxed slightly. But she didn’t completely release his arm.

“I... I...” She stammered, trying to say something. Anything. She dropped her hands and looked downcast. Kenma awkwardly took her hand in his.

“Let’s go.” He gave her a gentle tug and led her in the opposite direction that the guys had gone in.

“Th... thank you.” She said softly. Once again, he was glad for the hood. She couldn’t see him blushing.

He didn’t let go of her after that.


End file.
